Lost in time
by Skyrimfan
Summary: Thinking he is going to a wedding at the Isle of Wight in South East England, ten year old Opie Taylor volunteers to test the newly invented time-machine but computer errors strands him at the outskirts of Antietam at the exact same time the American Civil War was going. After saving a major's life, and making a name for himself, he became a Sergeant in the Union Army. Completel AU
1. Stranded

"And this," said Dr. Brown, "is the material-transmitter."

Opie Taylor could not fail to be impressed by the enormous machine which covered one whole wall of the laboratory. He saw a high panel covered with buttons, and levers, he noticed strange figures and symbols on each of the screens. This extraordinary machine that made contact with the past after a few tests with animals that were successful made Opie feel very small and insignificant.

His father, Andy Taylor, was a friend of Dr. Brown who invented the machine after months and months of persistent nagging with this pa, Opie had finally been allowed to visit the laboratory. He had heard his pa talk about the machine but he never thought that he would be standing in front of it right now and be the first human to try it.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing at the central section.

"That is where we put the animal cages or whatever objects we wish to transport." Dr. Brown explained.

"And do they come back in that as well?" Opie asked.

"If everything goes according to plan. Then yes."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me explain to you Opie," said Dr. Brown. "If, for example, we sent a dog in a cage back into the past, we have to wait a whole day before we can retrieve it, because the transmitter expands so much energy that it overheats and we have to wait for it to cool. During that time the cage must remain on exactly the same spot where it was transported the first time. If the cage was somehow picked up by someone then the dog would be lost forever, trapped in the past."

"I think I get it now Dr. Brown." said Opie excitedly.

"Alright. We will sent you to July 1, 1862. where you will witness the wedding between Princess Alice and Prince Ludwig at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight." said Dr. Brown as he continued to mumble while typing out words and numbers on the keyboard.

Andy Taylor gave Opie a long sharp knife, which the boy tucked under his belt, and some matches which he put in his pocket. "It will take a few minutes to adjust the transmitter, so we will transport you at one o' clock precisely. And you must be back at the spot where we sent you to at five o' clock sharp the next day. Have you that Opie?"

"Yes pa." said Opie already walking into the transmitter.

"For your own protection, show yourself to as few people as possible, because you are wearing the wrong clothes." Dr. Brown said.

Opie nodded, hardly paying any attention, he just want to see how the world looks like in 1862. He shut his eyes and heard the door behind him being closed, he stood still, like a statue. He started counting up to sixty slowly, and suddenly the world seemed to come to an end.

Opie reeled from the impact of a heavy force, which sent pain stabbing through his whole body. He felt as if he were in a mist of ever changing shades of blue, through which he gradually became aware of familiar sounds: the wind in the trees, the singing of birds. Still, he dared not move or open his eyes. He could feel the warmth of the sunshine on his hand and the whirling mist cleared from inside his head.

He opened his eyes slowly, and saw that he was standing by a deeply rutted road. On either side were steep banks covered with trees, bushes and flowers. But there was a smell in the air that made him cover his nose, he heard cannon fire and shells exploding. He shrugged his shoulders, maybe it was a gun salute for the wedding, he told himself and started walking.

I'm back in 1862, he could hardly believe it, he was about to continue his descent down the road when he heard, far behind him, the sound of hoof beats, cries, and a general commotion. Startled, he looked back, but the road was hidden from view.

There were more cries and the clashing of a weapon on weapon. Opie thought that perhaps they were two soldiers, old enemies, trying to kill each other. I must see that, he said to himself, but I must also be sure that they don't see me.

He ran back, ready to dive into the bushes at any moment. A little way past the road to the left, was a sight so surprising that he forgot to hide. There was a fight indeed, two men on horseback attacking a third man, on foot, who was wielding a sword and shouting.

The two mounted men were wearing gray uniforms and wearing cowboy hats, he realized that they were Confederate soldiers after hearing them shout 'You are going to die Yankee!'. His family had suffered under the rule of the Confederate State, he watched as the soldiers on horseback knocked the sword out of the third man's hand. Opie could tell that the man would soon be overpowered.

"Rebels." he muttered.

Furiously, Opie wrenched out his knife and leaped forward, he ran as fast as he could. He brought the knife down, and a shriek from under him made clear that his thrust had reached its mark. Opie sprained his ankle when he jumped down from the small hill and started to crawl away, grunting from the pain. The second soldier dismounted and attempted to bayonet the boy to death but the third man picked up his sword and hurled it at the soldier which killed him instantly.

The man recovered his breath and went to get one of the horses, he tied the animal to a tree and walked over to the motionless Confederates, lying on the road. Angrily, he gave one of the body a kick. Opie stiffened. The rebel was dead, killed by the man's sword. He shivered as the man pulled out the sword and wiped the blood away before sheathing it.

The man beckoned him forward. Opie clutching his left arm slowly rose from the ground but the pain in his ankle made him sit back down again. The man worried about his savior ran forward. "You okay son?" he asked.

"Sprained my ankle." replied Opie. He wasn't scared or afraid, he had saved the man's life but something made him curious about the man's blue uniform.

"I'll take you back to the camp and have the doctor see to your ankle. How's that?" the man asked.

"Better than staying here." answered Opie.

The man gently picked the boy from the ground and placed him on the horse before getting on behind, he pulled the reins and the horse went trotting down the road. On the way to the camp, the man stopped halfway for a short break, he started humming a tune to himself.

"My name is Scott Hancock." he introduced himself. "A Major General in the Union army."

Opie shook the extended hand. "Opie Taylor. A child wandering the roads."

Hancock smiled and turned his attention back to the battlefield where cannon fire could be heard, he kept on staring for a few minutes before mounting the horse and continuing their trip. "You are handy with a knife." he said suddenly.

"Oh...er...my pa taught me how to defend myself from attackers." replied Opie, who is trying very hard not to reveal anything.

"Your clothes...I haven't seen a coat like yours before."

Hancock kept asking dozens of questions until the boy was fed up and decided to reveal the true meaning of his clothes. "If I tell you something, will you keep it a secret for me?" asked Opie.

Hancock nodded his head. Opie swallowed his fear. "I am from the future about a hundred years from now, where a time machine have been invented. I was supposed to witness the princess of England marrying a German prince but somehow I got winded into the Civil War." he said.

"So who won the Civil War?" asked Hancock.

"The Union of course." replied Opie.

Hancock smiled at that but soon became serious. "When we get back to camp, you just nod your head to whatever I say. Merge with the boys, talk to them but don't reveal that you're from the future. This talk is only between me and you. Do we have a deal?" he asked.

"Aye aye sir." replied Opie giving him a salute.

"Good, we're nearly there."

Hancock rode his horse to the center of the camp where the bulk of the Union Army was waiting for his command, the soldiers saluted him and he saluted back. "Get me a doctor!" he yelled.

"What's wrong sir? Are you injured?" one of the men asked worriedly.

"No, it's not for me." replied Hancock who carried the boy down from the horse and gently lowered him on a crate. "Wait here for the doctor to arrive and do not move." he warned.

"Yes sir." answered Opie in a small voice. He somehow felt nervous around the Union soldiers, as they all gave him a weird look whenever they passed by, it's probably because of his clothes.

The doctor soon arrived and started checking Opie's reflexes on his ankle, the boy leaned back and soon was fast asleep. He was awaken to the sound of musket fire, drums beating and soldiers yelling, he got up and hobbled out of the tent and saw that Confederate soldiers have attacked the camp. The Union soldiers were unprepared and were easily defeated, Opie could not bare to see the slaughter, he noticed a tons of barrels containing gunpowder lying nearby. He suddenly had an idea.

Hancock rode among the soldiers, yelling orders while using his revolver to fire at the rebels who were advancing. He stopped when he saw Opie pushing barrel after barrel of gunpowder, he nearly screamed when he saw where the boy was heading. "Opie! Stop!" he yelled. That boy must be nuts, he's heading straight for the front lines. He told himself.

The boy looked up at the furious face of the Major, he pointed to the barrels and to the line of Confederates. "If I can light a fuse, it will create a chain reaction across the line but you got to pull your troops back." he explained.

"Alright." replied Hancock giving him a nod. "Retreat! Fall back! Sound the retreat!" he ordered and bugles and drums started to play as the Union soldiers pulled back.

Opie lighted a matchstick and threw it at the barrel before running away despite the pain in his legs, a loud explosion followed shortly, followed by another and another. It went on for at least a minute, once the smoke cleared, the Confederates were either lying down on the ground, dead, or retreating from the field.

The Union soldiers burst into cheers, they kept cheering and stopped when they all saw a young boy, covered in black soot, walking out of the smoke. Hancock dismounted and stormed towards the boy. "You nearly got yourself killed! What do you have to say for yourself?" he demanded.

Opie looked at the ground. "You gave me an order to stay put but I couldn't bare to see the Union being defeated so I decided to take matters into my own hands." he said softly. But before Hancock could argue, he continued. "If you want to punish me according to military law for disobeying an officer's command, then by all means go ahead."

Hancock placed his hands on the boy's shoulder. "You're not even in the army yet. So I will let this off but if I catch you pulling another dangerous stunt, you will find yourself in deep trouble. And by trouble I mean doing chores for me, no one ever likes that in my regiment. Got that?" he said.

"Aye." replied the boy. Opie smiled at the major and offered his arm which the major grabbed and dragged him back into the tent, reprimanding him as they went causing the soldiers to laugh.

"Shut your trap boys!" Hancock yelled. "You are lucky that you are not ten because I will do this to naughty boys." he said and picked up a rope on the ground. "This time, I will make sure you stay in bed." he added as a loud argument of protest and cries could be heard.

Later that night, Opie heard footsteps outside the tent, he sat up when he saw a familiar figure approaching him. "Good to see you major." he said.

Hancock ruffled the boy's hair and gave him a wide smile, the boy scowled at him as he used his hands to straightened his hair. "Come, let's get rid of these ropes." he said and the boy extended both his hands that were tied together with the rope. He took out his pocket knife and cut the ropes apart.

"Gee thanks." replied Opie as he rubbed his wrists.

"We need to get you some spare clothes..." the major said as he pondered for a little while. "I got it, follow me and keep your mouth shut." he ordered.

The boy nodded and hopped off the bed, surprisingly his legs did not feel as pain as he did before. He followed the major closely behind as they made their way across the camp, they stopped outside a tent which supplies and spare uniforms were kept.

Hancock opened a crate and searched through it but found none for Opie's small size, he opened another and found nothing. In a fit of anger, he grabbed a Sergeant uniform and a ball of thread, he then marched to his personal tent and started trimming the uniform. Opie stood warily as he felt a little nervous but the sudden protectiveness coming from a total stranger made him feel secure and safe.

"There all done." the major said after twenty minutes of silence. "Try it on."

The boy did as he was told and discarded his modern clothes and trying on the newly trimmed uniform specially made for him, the silk made him feel comfortable for some reasons. "It fits nicely." he commented.

Hancock smiled and carried the boy back into the hospital tent. "Get some shut eye, we have a long day tomorrow." he said and tucked the boy into bed.

"Sir? Can you do me a favor?" the boy asked.

"What?"

"You know the place where I saved you, further down the road there is a road sign. Can you write a letter to my pa and tell him that I will be staying for quite some time, and that I will be safe?" asked Opie as he rubbed his eyes.

"Of course Opie. I will ride to that road sign tonight. But first get some sleep."

The soldiers that were doing their guard duty can't help but stare as their commander sat down and told stories to the new kid, he only left after the boy was fast asleep. Opie slept well that night, but he still wished he could have avoided all of this but since he's here, he rather see that history does not repeat itself.

Hancock rode out in the middle of the night, clutching a letter with one hand while gripping the horse reins with another. The wind blew through his blond hair as he made his way back to that road where the Confederates lay, he pulled over at the only road sign along the road and placed the letter on the ground. Before his very eyes, the letter vanished into thin air. "That kid isn't lying...he's really from the future." he said.

The next day, drums sounded and the soldiers quickly woke up and freshened themselves and stood to attention. Opie yawned and rubbed his eyes as he slowly walked out of the tent, he shielded his eyes from the sun. "Morning major." he greeted.

"Finally up sergeant?"

"Sorry for taking so long, I'm just not used to the timing that's all." replied the boy.

Hancock pulled a horse by the reins and led it to Opie. "This here is Betsy, she's a brave horse. It belonged to my friend, William but he was killed at the Battle of Bull Run." he said and lifted the boy on top of the saddle.

"We riding out?" questioned Opie.

"Indeed, we must link up with General McCellan's men and turn the tide at Antietam."

"Antietam!" the boy exclaimed. "The Sunken Road? Burnside Bridge? Dunker Church? No, I'm not going there, it's the most bloodiest battle in American history!"

"Quiet down son." said Hancock as he covered the boy's mouth with his hand. "You want the whole camp to hear you? You just listen to my orders and we'll get through it."

"Yes sir." the boy said in a defeated tone.

"Don't worry, I've already written a nice letter with my original seal and saw it vanish at five in the morning. Your pa should have already read the letter by now."

The boy nodded. "Thanks...for doing all this for me." he said.

"No problem son. You've saved my life, and I owe you one." said Hancock who gave him a gentle pat on the back. "Now act like a Sergeant, and start giving people orders."

The boy looked at the insignia on both his right and left shoulder, it clearly showed his rank as a Sergeant of Hancock's 2nd Cavalry Division. He had studied about Hancock's military career and admired the major but he didn't think that he would be serving as one of his personal guard, it was truly a dream come true. Hancock rode up beside him and pointed to the North. "We ride for Antietam!" he shouted as a series of cheers could be heard.

"Think of any songs to share with the men?" Hancock suddenly asked.

"There is one I learned back in school." replied Opie. "It's called _The Battle Cry of Freedom_."

"Good. Now sing it."

Opie nearly fell of his horse at the major's orders. He cleared his throat. "I need a tune to sing along with." he said.

Hancock turned around to the soldiers marching behind him to the sounds of drums beaten by the drummer boys. "Hey drummer boys, play me a tune!" he ordered and the drums started to change their beats. "All done Sergeant Opie Taylor." he said.

Opie sighed. "Well here goes..." he said.

Back in Opie's present time, Andy Taylor sat down and read the letter that was revived instead of his son. He looked at the paper and inspected the handwriting, and the seal and signature at the bottom of the page clearly shows that it was written by a high ranking army officer.

_To, Mr. Taylor_

_Your son Opie Taylor is safe under my protection, I will personally see to his needs and wants until he decides to go home. To protect his identity, I made him a Sergeant in the 2nd Cavalry Division, he is handling the situation very well._

_Though he may sometimes be a little childish and playful, when it gets to serious matters, he is always at the ready. Like today, a few hours ago, he saved the entire camp by using a technique that he claims it was from the future, he called it the chain reaction. For his bravery and courage, the men wanted him to be awarded the medal of honor but he politely refused, saying that everybody is a hero in their own way._

_If you are reading this, I salute you Mr. Taylor, for raising a son that is full of life and adventure._

_Signed, Winfield Scott Hancock_

_Major General in the Union Army_

Andy put aside the letter and took out a history book, he flipped through the pages and what he saw made him smile with pride. There were exploits of the 2nd Cavalry Division of how they routed the Confederates at Antietam, the major role they played at Gettysburg. But the best piece of news was a picture of his son, standing with his arms folded and a man with his hands on the boy's shoulder.

At the bottom of the picture it wrote: _Major General Scott Hancock and the Hero of Antietam, Sergeant Opie Taylor._


	2. The Hero of Antietam

The Union soldiers positioned at Antietam were all geared up and ready for battle when a chorus of men singing could be heard from the road behind them. Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened to the tune.

_Yes we'll rally round the flag, boys, we'll rally once again,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom,_

_We will rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the plain,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

_The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah!_

_Down with the traitors, and up with the star,_

_While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

_We are spring to the call of our brothers gone before,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

_And we'll fill our vacant ranks with a million freeman more,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

_The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah!_

_Down with the traitors, and up with the star,_

_While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

_We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true and brave,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

_And although they may be poor, they shall never be a slave,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

_The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah!_

_Down with the traitors, and up with the star,_

_While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

_So we're springing to the call from the East and from the West,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom,_

_And we'll hurl the rebel crew from the land that we love the best._

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

_The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah!_

_Down with the traitors, and up with the star,_

_While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,_

_Shouting the battle cry of freedom!_

Hancock's II Corps emerged from the jungles and approached the camp, at the head of the huge army was the major himself and a young boy, both laughing and singing. The men behind them marched with pride and smiles on their faces as they started to get to know and understand the song, some of the men were even singing along.

They stopped outside the camp, and soldiers after soldiers piled into ranks and files, ready to charge at the enemy. "Remember your training men! This is it!" Hancock shouted as the men formed up beside McCellan's unit.

McCellan approached Hancock. "Who's this young lad?" he asked.

"A boy I met on the road. Saved my life, killed a Confederate soldier with a dagger, so I made him a Sergeant in my staff, anything wrong with that?" replied Hancock.

"No, nothing. How old is he?"

"Ten years old but one of the bravest boy I have ever seen." Hancock said giving a gentle pat on Opie's back. "You should have seen him when we were ambushed back at camp, despite his injuries, he still managed to pull off a stunt that routed the entire Confederate army." he added.

"Really?" McCellan's eyes opened wide and he looked at the young boy from head to toe. "What did he do?" he asked.

"You should have been there sir." one of the men said giving Opie a salute. "Saved our lives, by blowing up barrels of gunpowder. But I wonder how did he avoid getting shot by the Confederates?"

"I'm small in size but that doesn't mean I wasn't targeted, I had to duck to avoid all those bullets. The best thing was I wasn't even wearing my uniform when I lighted the fuse, the rebels thought that I was just a farm boy that somehow wandered into the camp." answered Opie.

"That's enough stories for now Sergeant." said Hancock sternly. "The battle is about to start, it's time for Operation Union Storm to begin."

"Yes sir!" Opie said and saluted. He turned to the few men that were under his command. "Follow my lead if you want to stay alive! See you at the field!" he shouted and galloped away. Fifty horsemen shortly followed his lead, each of them holding the flag of the 2nd Division.

"He's going to lead a charge?" McCellan asked, half shocked and confused.

"I told you, he knows what he's doing." replied a rather annoyed Hancock. "Let's just get ready to push through the cornfield." he suggested.

"Right." McCellan nodded his head in agreement. "Fix Bayonets!" he yelled.

The battle of Antietam officially begin when the Union soldiers fired their cannon at the Confederate lines, the Unions then advanced on the remnants of the first wave of rebels. The rebels ran as fast as they could back to their lines where they fired volley after volley, killing dozens of surprised Union soldiers.

Hancock scanned the horizon for the small cavalry unit that were sent behind enemy lines, he smiled when he saw the 2nd Division flag flying behind the Confederate lines. "Charge!" he yelled and gave a war cry as the II Corps charged through the cornfields.

The rebels were shocked to find cavalry units behind them firing their Henry rifles and making hit and run attacks, and they nearly fainted when more than a few hundred Union soldiers appeared from the cornfields. The rebels did the only thing everyone would do, they ran for the hills.

Hancock watched with pride as Opie valiantly led the charge against the retreating rebels despite being small in size, he saw the boy rode Betsy to the front of the Confederates and in one quick move snatched the flag away from the bearer.

As the rebels ran towards the hills, they saw Union flags flying in front of them and they stopped, afraid that they would be run straight into an ambush. The Union soldiers caught up with them and took more than a hundred prisoners, the Confederate's were shocked that the Union could come up with such a brilliant strategy when they found out that the flags were just stuck in the mud to fool them.

McCellan was truly impressed with the brilliant strategy that Hancock has planned, and was even more shocked when Hancock told him that Opie planned everything, he just gave the word to go on with it.

"The boy deserves a medal!" he said. "Did you see what he did, he rode right in front of the rebs and just snatched up their flag and managed to get away without even being hit! I will write a recommendation letter to allow the boy to command his own division of cavalry. And, he truly deserves a medal."

"I agree." said Hancock looking at the men throwing Opie in the air and catching him again while chanting his name. The men continued to chant his name and added in the phrase Hero of Antietam. The pure joy of his men enjoying themselves made him feel proud, the boy truly had made a name for himself within the II Corps.

After the cheering have stopped, Hancock approached the boy from behind. The boy looked at him with teary eyes and the major immediately knew that the boy was homesick, he held the boy's hand tightly giving them a squeeze.

"When this war is over, we will find a way to get you home. I promise." said Hancock.

Opie didn't say anything but nodded his head silently as they watched the Union soldiers burying their dead and treating their wounded, he turned and walk away as blood dripped from his shoulder.

"By the gods!" Hancock exclaimed. "You're wounded!"

"Grazed by a sword." the boy answered with a small smile. "Dangers of war. No?" he added.

Hancock smiled and lifted the boy above his shoulders. "Perhaps but I think it's time to visit the doctor...again." he said and the boy whined.

"Aww...come on sir. It's just a scratch, it's nothing serious." Opie whined. "Tell him Welsh, tell him that it was a scratch." he said to one of the men.

"I'm sorry Sergeant Taylor." Welsh apologized. "Sir, he was wounded when we assaulted Dunker Church, he rode up to a Confederate colonel and jumped on top of him. Both of them wrestled for the sword, and the colonel won, the rebel then swung the sword which the Sergeant ducked but got grazed a little bit."

"Interesting...tell me more." Hancock inquired.

"No Welsh! Please don't! He will kill me!" Opie begged.

"The Sergeant then ran while the colonel gave chase, he picked up a musket and charged at the rebel, he managed to stab the rebel in the stomach but the sword nearly went through his eye. It was all thanks to Smith that he survived, that private pulled him back in the nick of time." said Welsh.

"All right Corporal, you are dismissed." the major said with a smile. "And you. Are in trouble young man." he glared at Opie furiously. "First we need to clean the wound before administering the punishment."

Opie hanged his head down in shame as he was dragged away. The members of the II Corps knew what was going to happen, and all excitedly followed their commander from a distance which caught McCellan's attention.

"What's going on here?" demanded McCellan.

"Sergeant Taylor is in trouble." replied one of the soldiers. "He and the commander made an agreement, if the Sergeant ever pulled off a dangerous stunt and was caught in the act, he would be punished severely."

"Is it..." McCellan said nodding his head and a little curious on how Hancock will punish the boy.

After the wound had been cleaned and bandaged, Hancock forced Opie to hold a musket in the air with both of his hands. "Now, you will jog around the entire camp three times. And each time you complete a round, you will shout 'This is what happens to boys who go against my orders.' Got that?" he said.

The boy nodded his head and held the musket tightly before jogging around the camp three times, McCellan sat outside his tent and watched as the boy ran. "This is what happens to boys who go against Major Hancock's orders!" the boy yelled when he completed his first round.

After running the three rounds, Opie lay on the ground exhausted, panting heavily. He looked at the major weakly, before standing up again and holding the musket above his head. The major smiled and took the musket away, tossing it aside.

"Learned your lesson yet?" inquired Hancock.

"Yes sir." replied Opie between breaths.

"Good, I don't want you to risk your life again, I gave my word to your pa that I will watch out for you so don't screw it up by pulling dangerous stunts." said a furious but calmed Hancock. "And tomorrow the reporters will be coming down, they have heard the tales about the Hero of Antietam and want your photo taken."

"I will go and get some shut eye...if you allow me to." replied Opie.

"You are dismissed." Hancock said. "Oh, and Opie. Make sure you look smart tomorrow, the president himself is coming down, he wants to award you the medal personally." he added.

"Aye." the boy replied.

"Abraham Lincoln personally coming down to pin a medal on my chest? Wow, I did not expect such a thing, and yet my pa told me to keep a low profile. Now, everyone knows who I am but do not know where I come from. Luckily, the major is always around to answer any questions thrown to me by people I don't know." he said to himself.

True enough, the next day, Opie was forced to stand in different positions for his photo to be taken but almost in every shot, Hancock was standing proudly behind him. He saw the soldiers lined up in full ceremonial dress, drums were played as the president strode down the row of soldiers that made a path directly to him.

The president looked down at the boy and shook his hands. "It is a great pleasure to meet the Hero of Antietam personally." he said.

"It's an honor to meet you as well, Mr President." replied Opie.

"For outstanding bravery at the Battle of Antietam and capturing Dunker Church, I hereby award the medal of honor to Sergeant Taylor of the II Corps, 2nd Cavalry Division." the president said and pinned a shiny medal on Opie's chest.

Opie gave the president a salute who nodded and patted his shoulder before walking away with McCellan and other important people which he don't know. Hancock gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You did well." he said.

"I was trying my best not to faint..." the boy replied.

"Overall, you did pretty well." the major said. "Come, should we go talk to the drummer boys? You told me that you wished to talk to them. Now it's a perfect chance."

"Lead the way." said Opie.

Hancock led Opie to a patch of grass where the drummer boys and soldiers were resting, they all stood up when they saw the major but he told them to sit. "Sergeant Taylor here, wishes to have a few words with you all." he said.

"Well, let's just say I'm always fascinated by you boys playing the drums, you know I always wanted to play one but..." said Opie who turned his small head to the major. "The major told me no."

"It's for your own good. Confederate sharpshooters will take out drummer boys during battle, to safe your sorry ass from being shot, I chose you as a mounted staff." the major replied. "Now, no more talking about this, or you will be running around the camp six times with two muskets. Each wrong move I heard or saw you committing it, I will double it, so from three it will be six, and then nine and so on."

"Got that." replied Opie. "Oh, and sir. There is something I must tell you in private later on...it is about the coming battle that we will be forced to take part in."

"I'll see you in my tent after you are done with getting to know the boys." said Hancock as he walked away, picking up a bottle of wine on the way.

"So you all know my name but I want to know each and every single one of your names." said Opie. "Let's begin with you."

"Name's Johnny Boone, but you may call me John." the first boy said.

The second boy looked shy and nervous but with further persuasion from his friends, he finally answered the question. "My name is Steven." he said with a small smile.

"Well, I do not have a name but the boys all call me Tommy." the third boy said.

Opie was curious. "You don't have a name?" he repeated.

"Yes, my parents were illiterate and dead by the time I was nine, and with no home to stay in. I stayed on the streets and wandered around the countryside, that's where I ran into the II Corps, they at first refused to take me in but the major said that if they don't take me in. The Rebels would used it as an excuse that the Union soldiers were heartless and do not care about homeless kids, so that's how I became a drummer boy." said Tommy. "And for my name. Well, you can say that the major decided on it. He told me that Tommy was a good friend of his who died during the Mexican war with America."

Opie nodded his head. "Yeah, he even gave me a horse that belonged to General Williams. You all know him?" he asked.

"Indeed." replied John. "He was a man with a kind heart, he never ever said a mean thing or scold us if one of us boys did something wrong. Instead, he just told us to not do it again. Like that time, when Tommy accidentally broke General William's sword when cleaning it."

"Of course, how could I forget that small incident." said Tommy. "Major Hancock wanted to have me punished by hanging a sign on my neck stating that I broke a general's sword, he wanted to make me embarrass. But General William came up, and told him that it was just a sword, it could easily be replaced."

"He was a good man...but at the Battle of Bull Run, he held the enemy back when we retreated. He didn't made it back only his horse, even though it was badly wounded, the horse still trotted to the main camp. It was awarded for it's bravery just like you, so I guess that you two really make a pair." said Steven.

Welsh walked up behind his Sergeant and tapped his shoulder. "Sergeant Taylor, there is something specially delivered for you, a letter of some sort and...a book?" he said holding up the two items.

"Thank you Welsh, let me just take that." replied Opie as he took the two items.

The first was indeed a sealed letter from his pa to Major Hancock, and the second was a book titled. "The American Civil War, a historical account on what truly happened." he read out loud. "Written by...Hancock and his trusted assistant Sergeant-...where did you get this?" he asked.

"I saw a blinding flash of light behind one of the bushes, and I went to investigate, and I saw the book with the letter between it's pages. I read the contents and saw that it had your name so I did what was best and delivered them to you, and don't worry I didn't read a single page." replied Welsh, confused with his commanding officer's sudden reaction.

The three drummer boys also looked up at Opie's strange reaction when he read the cover page of the book, he then clutched the book tightly and walked towards Hancock who was talking to some of the generals of other regiments and units.

"Sir...there is something you must see." he said in a low voice.

"Excuse me gentlemen." the major said and followed Opie into a secluded area where no one could find them. "What is the thing you wanted me to see so badly?" he asked.

"Here, a letter from my pa to you. And a book that you wrote in 1869, together with me? Shocking ain't it?

Hancock took the book and read the cover page and he too opened his eyes wide with shock, there were pictures of both him and Opie on every single page and writings about the Civil War. And at the back there was a small note written by Hancock himself, it says: this book is dedicated to Opie Taylor, a boy who changed my life.

He slowly opened the letter and read it's contents and he laughed when he finished reading it, Opie looked at him with curious eyes. "Your pa...he's so happy for you, he written clearly that if you ever get in trouble, I will have permission to give you a whipping." he said between laughs.

"He what?" Opie exclaimed. "He allowed you to give me a whipping?"

"Yes, indeed."

"Oh, then I better start behaving myself." the boy said with downcast eyes. "I never liked getting a whipping, the only time I got one was because of a matchstick. I played with fire and got whipped for it, though it was not that many, only three if I recall clearly."

"You going to read the book, if not I would certainly like to take it off your hands." asked Hancock, immediately changing the subject.

"Sure, go ahead take it." said Opie handing the book over. "I'd better get back to talking with the boys, especially Welsh, he's getting a little curious about me."

"What is your plan, if anyone finds out? That you are from the future?" asked Hancock.

"I'm not sure..." the boy replied when he spotted a young boy hiding in the bushes. "Someone is spying on us. Don't scare him, I think he's one of the drummer boys."

Hancock pointed his finger at the bush. "You there, come out of the bush, nice and slowly. We won't hurt you if you do. Come out!" he demanded.


	3. Lesson learnt

Slowly but nervously, a young drummer boy crawled out from behind the bush and took a few steps forward, his head cast down in embarrassment. "Sorry sir, I was just curious about the Sergeant...he seems to discuss almost everything with you in private and in not full view of the other captains and generals. So I got suspicious and followed."

Hancock smacked his head with his palm. "Now, what are you going to do? Since Johnny here, have already heard everything about you coming from the future?" he asked.

Opie pondered for a few seconds. "John?" he said.

John looked up at the Sergeant. "Yes sir?"

"Can you keep this meeting a secret? If you don't do it for me at least do for the cause as my life depends on it, I have already made a few changes to history during Antietam."

"What sort of changes?" asked John curiously.

"Well, the Union were supposed to take heavy losses when pushing through the cornfields but I changed that by ambushing the rebels from behind. And second, the rebels were supposed to shell the Unions with cannons but I took care of that as well and captured Dunker Church way earlier then it supposed to be. All that's left is the Sunken Road and Burnside Bridge but I plan to change that as well." replied Opie.

"Alright sir, I will keep this meeting in private and not reveal anything to anyone not even the other boys. But I have a favor to ask."

"What?"

"When you get to battle planning, can I come and listen?"

Hancock laughed. "Of course you can come Johnny, provided you keep your mouth shut about Opie's background. There are a lot of things that can go haywire if he is revealed." he said.

"Like what?" asked John.

Hancock shrugged his shoulders. "Lots of things, like imprisonment for life." he said.

Opie gave him a look. "I rather be locked up in my pa's courthouse then a Union prison camp." he said which caused the major to laugh, without thinking he gave the major a kick.

John stood awkwardly at one side as he watched his two commanding officers wrestle each other, he can't help but laugh when Hancock lifted Opie up easily. The boy struggled to free himself but the major's grip on his collar was too strong, he lowered his hands and stopped fighting. "I give up, I give up! You win sir!" he yelled.

Hancock released his grip and Opie fell on the ground. "Alright, that's enough for today. I shall leave so that the both of you can get better acquainted, and please don't go around creating trouble. Especially you Opie Taylor." he warned, pointing his finger at the two boys.

"No worries sir, I promised you that I will behave myself, you won't find me getting into any trouble at all." replied Opie, with a small smile. "But if I do get into trouble, just to let you know, it won't be the last." he added.

Hancock laughed and ruffled Opie's hair before walking away, leaving the two boys alone. John stood still, he couldn't believe that the young Sergeant in front of him was from the future. How is the world doing in the future? Is it good or is it plagued by war and death? He asked himself.

Opie seemed to have read his thoughts, he turned to face John. "If you have any questions, ask them and I will do my best to answer them." he said, and immediately John started bombing him with questions. "Woah, slow down. One at a time."

"How is the world in your time? Is it peaceful?" asked John.

Opie looked grim as he thought about his time. "The world is pretty much advanced, we have transportation which are called vehicles. It has four wheels and can go pretty fast and travel long distances, all you have to do is press the pedal." he replied. "As for the peaceful part...no it's not."

"Why is it not peaceful?"

"There is another war going on during my time, it's called the Vietnam War. A bloody conflict that drew in many countries to join the war on America's side, yet the three most powerful countries sided with the opposition. If you ask me, I can tell you straight that America and her allies are losing the war, the Viet Congs will win." answered Opie, as he stared into the open fields.

John didn't want to press the matter further. "Let's forget that I asked you that." he said before extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet someone from the future, who is so young but yet so wise."

Opie shook the extended hand. "And it's an honor to fight alongside the bravest soldiers America has to offer." he said, and the two boys walked away together as friends.

The friendship between Opie and John grew as the battles they fought bonded them together, wherever the II Corps went they followed from Shepherdstown, Wood Lake, Perryville, Old Fort Wayne, Clark's Mill all the way to Gettysburg.

Halfway through the Battle of Gettysburg, Opie was hit on the shoulder by a musket fired by one of the Confederate soldiers during the famous Pickett's Charge. He was rushed off field and into a field hospital where the doctors tried their best to stop the bleeding which they did, he was both shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Steven, the youngest drummer boy in the regiment.

After Opie had fully recovered, he was told that the general wanted to see him. He was confused and a little nervous of meeting General Ulysses S. Grant who will in the end become the 18th president of the United States. He was stirred out of his thoughts by the loud voice of his friend.

"Sergeant Taylor! You done in there? It's almost time."

"Just a minute John!" he yelled back, as he fastened his belt around his waist. "Alright, let's go." he said as he stepped out of his tent.

"What do you think the general wants with us?" John asked.

"No idea." replied Opie. "From what I gathered, generals do not call on low ranking soldiers unless there is something major that is going to happen for example...an execution for desertion." he said.

"But we didn't desert." John answered, his heart beating faster every second.

"We can talk later, here he comes." Opie whispered, and before his very eyes, General Grant approached the two of them accompanied by both Major Hancock and McCellan.

McCellan stood proudly behind Grant as they came to a stop right in front of the two boys, he called the both of them forward. "Johnny Boone step forward." he said, and the young drummer boy took one step forward.

"On saving your Sergeant's life at the risk of your own, you are promoted to the rank of Sergeant." General Grant said, shaking John's hand. "Congratulations Sergeant."

John saluted. "Thank you sir." he said with a smile.

"Opie Taylor step forward." McCellan said.

Opie took one small step forward and looked at the general confidently. "For valiantly defending the right flank and capturing an enemy general despite getting wounded on the field of battle, you are promoted to Second Lieutenant. You will also be given full command of the II Corps." General Grant said and shook his hand. "Congratulations Lieutenant."

"It's an honor to receive this rank sir, I won't let you down." Opie said with a salute.

General Grant smiled and knelt down to Opie's height. "No, it's my pleasure to bestow the rank upon one of the bravest but craziest boy I ever met. For once, I thought you weren't going to make it but you proved me wrong in the end." he said. "But try not to charge headlong into the enemy again, this army could not lose men such as you."

"I won't sir."

"That's what you said the other time." Hancock said with a frown.

"I'm sorry for disobeying orders but I just had to..."

Hancock smiled. "Yes, I understand your feelings for the men and it's mostly thanks to your courageous act, our right flank was saved." he said, and the boy breathed a sigh of relief.

A few months went by, and both Opie and John's unit were trapped and surrounded by rebel forces at Chickuamaga. Opie did everything he could to prevent the Army of the Potamac from getting outnumbered and trapped, he successfully convinced General Thomas to stay out of the battle but is now trapped instead.

John looked at Opie with huge eyes. "You told me that we won't be trapped." he said.

"I didn't expect the rebs to have so many regiments near by. Now we can only pray that General Thomas arrive in time, or else we will all be dead by tomorrow." replied Opie. He scanned the valley with his eyes and saw a dust of cloud approaching, he could barely make out the Dixie flag in the cloud of dust. "John! Get the boys ready for a fight!" he ordered.

The Unions rushed to meet the rebels in battle, in the midst of the chaos John swore he heard a boy screaming in pain. The small skirmish ended when the Confederates ran out of ammunition and had to retreat as the Unions were on high ground, but there was no cheer or songs to be sung, as many Union soldiers died defending the hill.

John looked around worriedly for Opie, he searched the field hospital but didn't find him, he even searched the dead but also he couldn't find him. He was panicking and frustrated that he could not find the commanding officer, that was when he saw Welsh at the side of the camp.

He approached the Corporal slowly. The more closer he went the sounds of sobbing became louder, and he was sure that Welsh was crying. But for what? He asked himself. He placed his right hand on Welsh's right shoulder. "Is everything okay Welsh?" he asked.

Welsh dried up his tears and turned around, John's eyes zeroed in on the hat in Welsh's hands. "I...I...saw him fell." he said.

"Who? Who fell?" John asked.

"The Lieutenant...he was shot and fell off the cliff. I tried to grab him but I only managed to catch his hat..." replied Welsh. "What should the army do now without it's leader?"

John reeled back in shock. Opie? Dead? He thought to himself, images of the Lieutenant flashed through his mind. The joyfulness on his face, the laughter that he brought to the sick and dying, the jokes that he told to the new recruits. The joyful boy who came from the future is now dead. He could hardly believe it.

The Union camp was quiet that night, not a single soul said a word, all were traumatized by the deaths of so many especially their commanding officer. John sat beside a couple of soldiers as they watched the campfire burn, he started humming to the tune of The Vacant Chair which was immediately taken up by the rest and soon everyone was singing.

_We shall meet but we shall miss him._

_There will be one vacant chair._

_We shall linger to caress him,_

_While we breathe our ev'ning prayer._

_When a year ago we gathered,_

_Joy was in his mild blue eye._

_But a golden cord is severed._

_And our hopes in ruin lie._

_We shall meet, but we shall miss him._

_There will be one vacant chair._

_We shall linger to caress him,_

_While we breathe our ev'ning prayer._

_At our fireside, sad and lonely,_

_Often will the bosom swell, _

_At remembrance of the story,_

_How our noble really fell._

_How he strove to bear our banner,_

_Thro' the thickest of the fight,_

_And uphold our country's honor_

_In the strength of manhood's might._

_We shall meet, but we shall miss him._

_There will be one vacant chair._

_We shall linger to caress him,_

_While we breathe our ev'ning prayer._

_True they tell us wreath of glory,_

_Evermore will deck his brow,_

_But this soothes the auguish only,_

_Sweeping o'er our heartstrings now._

_Sleep today o' early fallen,_

_In thy green and narrow bed,_

_Dirges from the pine and cypress_

_Mingle with the tears we shed._

_We shall meet, but we shall miss him._

_There will be one vacant chair._

_We shall linger to caress him,_

_While we breathe our ev'ning prayer._

The song was sung throughout the entire camp, and Confederate prisoners were brought to tears by the chorus and friendship that the Union shared. But somewhere along the battlefield, a young boy struggled to climb out of the ditch which he had fallen into, he was rescued by a passing Confederate patrol.

"Are you really a Lieutenant?" one of the rebels asked.

Opie nodded, too tired to say anything. He tried to walk but fainted due to exhaustion, the rebels then decided to carry him back to their camp. He awoke two days later. "Where am I?" he exclaimed.

A man rushed to his side. "Relax, you are safe. Hancock has been informed of your condition, he is riding here to pick you up." he said and pushed the boy back into his bed.

"But my men! They must be worried sick!" Opie said.

"They thought that you were dead, and they fought furiously yesterday and massacred two of my best regiments before breaking out of Chickuamaga. When I realized that the reason they fought like lions was because of your 'demise', I immediately dispatched a rider to inform Hancock." the man replied.

"Who are you?" Opie asked, narrowing his eyes. How did this man know Hancock? And why is he so caring about me all of a sudden? I must make sure this is not a rebel trick. He said to himself.

"Armistead. I'm a close friend of Hancock, I only found out that you were his boy when I saw the sewing thread on your rank. By the way, are you his son?" the man introduced himself.

Opie shook his head. "No sir, I'm not. How I wish I could be." he said. And it's true, he really wished he was Hancock's son. It's just that he was born at the wrong time.

Armistead laughed. "Come on son, let's take a walk." he said.

Opie took the only chance to stretch his legs and agreed to go for a short walk, he learned many things from Armistead about his friendship with Hancock. They were laughing and talking when a Confederate soldier shouted. "General! General! We're in trouble!"

"What sort of trouble lad? Is it the Union?" Armistead asked.

"No general. But instead it's our own men! When General Bragg heard about us harboring a Yankee Lieutenant he demanded we handed him over, but Frankie told him no...and he killed him! Now our men are fighting against Bragg's men, it's chaos over there!" the soldier said, his hand pointing towards the other side of the camp where musket fire could be heard.

"Damn that Bragg to hell! How dare he kill my soldier! This means war!" Armistead said angrily, pulling out his revolver from it's holster. He turned to Opie. "You, go back into the command center and stay there!" he said.

Opie nodded and ran but he caught a glimpse of the firefight and it does not look good for Armistead's men, he decided to interfere. He picked up a musket from the nearest weapon rack, loaded it, and ran into the long grass. Using the grass as his cover, he took aim at the only figure that shows his rank as a general, he pulled the trigger and watched as the general collapsed to the ground.

"They're general is down! Drive them to the hills!" Armistead yelled, as his small band of soldiers fired upon the retreating Confederates. "Leave none alive!" he added, as a few of his soldiers mounted their horses and gave chase.

Opie came out of his hiding place, musket in hand, he quickly threw it aside when Armistead saw him before making a dash towards the command center. He waited for the general to come in, he pretended that he did nothing and acted normally.

Armistead came in with the same musket and placed it on the table. "Care to explain this?" he said.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." Opie said, avoiding eye contact.

"I saw you with this musket, you were coming out of the bushes." the general said, as he leaned closer. "I'm going to ask you one last time. Did you shoot General Bragg?" he demanded.

Opie kept quiet and looked at the floor. Armistead sighed and closed the door behind him before locking it, he unbuckled his belt and held it tightly in one hand. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice son. So what's it going to be?" he asked.

Opie bit his lower lips nervously. "You were going to be outnumbered...I can't let you die!" he answered, but his actions showed that he didn't learn anything from the threat. His eyes widened with shock when he was forced to the wall, he closed his eyes. "Wait! I thought I answered your question!" he said.

"I knew it. You are still defiant, kids like you need a good whipping or else you won't learn." was only Armistead's reply.

The soldiers guarding the camp tried their best not to laugh when loud sounds of protests and arguments could be heard from the command post. Hancock arrived a few hours later, and he was immediately greeted by his old friend.

"Hancock! Looking fine as ever."

"Armistead, it's good to see you too." Hancock greeted, he looked around and saw the bodies of the dead Confederates lying around the camp. "What happened? Did the Unions attack?" he asked.

"No, this bastard lying at my feet did." Armistead replied, pointing to Bragg's dead body.

"Where's Opie?" Hancock asked.

"The boy? He's in the house but I gotta tell ya that he is one hell of a kid, defiant and rude. I wondered how you managed to go on with your life with a child like him?"

Hancock sighed. "You gave him a whipping?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.

"I had to. Now he's just facing the wall refusing to move at all."

Hancock nodded and walked into the command center, he looked around and saw Opie standing with his head resting on the wall. "Opie? Are you hurt?" he asked.

"You going to give me a whipping?" the boy asked.

"No, I'm here to take you back." Hancock replied, and pulled the boy out. "How many?" he asked.

"Five..." Opie replied. "And they all hurt like hell, it's worse than getting hit by a musket."

"At least he used his belt, and not an actual horse whip." Hancock said, and Opie fell silent. "Now, get on your horse and don't complain of the pain. Don't forget, the 2nd Cavalry regiment still thinks that you are dead including McCellan, they are planning to give you a full military honor at Fort Wagner."

"Oh gosh! You should have told me earlier!" Opie exclaimed and mounted his horse, he winced at the pain but didn't pay much attention. "What about General Armistead?" he asked.

"That old man? Don't worry about him, he will hold this camp for as long as he can, if he is about to be overrun he will flee to the North and join the Union forces." answered Hancock. "Now let's ride!"

The two of them rode across the country side, riding as fast as they could. They finally arrived at Fort Wagner after three days of hard riding, the guards stationed outside were shocked and relieved to find Opie alive and well.

"I can't believe it! The Lieutenant lives!" one of them said.

"You'd better hurry Lieutenant! They just started the rites!" another shouted.

Opie took off in a dash, he kept running and failed to stop himself in time. He bumped into Welsh who then fell into a well, he looked down with a worried face. "You alright Welsh?" he asked.

"I'm fine! Next time just don't...wait...you're supposed to be dead!" Welsh replied, both relieved and annoyed. "You were hit! I saw you fell down the cliff!" he added.

"Well, I'm back." Opie said, with a smile as he pulled the Corporal out. "And the cliff was actually a ditch, you just didn't bother to check it."

"Opie! You're alive! I thought that you were dead!" John exclaimed rushing forward to hug his friend.

Opie smiled. "Good, but I'm gonna tan your hide real good." he said.

"What for?" John asked, looking around at the soldiers who were trying their best not to laugh.

"For thinking that I was dead."

"Aww, I'm sorry Opie." John said, giving his best innocent look.

"Come along John, you are going to explain to Major McCellan every single thing about what happened at Chickuamaga. You didn't think that I would go and investigate did ya? I know what you did." the Lieutenant said.

John shivered. "Er...can we do this in private?" he asked.

"No!" Opie replied and beckoned Welsh to grab hold of the Sergeant. "Let's go, I'm sure the Major would be happy to see you." he said.

_In the next chapter, John will be suspended from duty due to his actions at Chickuamaga, he doesn't hate Opie for ratting him in and instead accepted his punishment without any resistance. At the meantime, Armistead would join the Union forces with an extraordinary news that would force Opie to seek allies across the seas. McCellan will also discover about Opie's background, read to see his reaction._


End file.
